Garment



CA L JASPER Dec. 13, 1938.

GARMENT Filed NOV. 28, 1936 n ll ll ll MHHI llll INVENTOR EEIHA LEE UASF'ER.

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ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES GARMENT Cora Lee Jasper, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to The La Resista Corset Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application November 28, 1936, Serial No. 113,226

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in garments, and more particularly foundation garments of the type which embrace the hips and thighs of the wearer for the purpose of molding 5 and controlling the contour, and is a continuation in part of my application for Garment, Serial Number 70,735, filed March 23, 1936. The current trend in such gaments is toward greater length and snugness so that the lower edge is not only considerably below the hips but is usually cupped under so as to closely embrace and confine the thighs. In addition to these characteristics the back of such garments is usually provided with steel or bone stays and the lower edge 5 is connected to the stockings by garters, both at the front and back. While such garments are satisfactory both from the standpoint of body molding and control and comfort, they have proved to be extremely inconvenient and uncomfortable when it has been necessary during the course of wearing the garment to adjust or raise the garment at the rear. This has necessitated unfastening of the garters at the rear and the upward rolling or peeling of therear of the garment, which was not only very uncomfortable and unsatisfactory, but was detrimental to the garment, stretching and straining the elastic inserts, subjecting the fabric to strain and the chances of tearing, and in the case of a garment 30 having vertical stays causing these to be bent and broken.

In fact the bending to which the stays have been subjected under these conditions has been such in many instances as to produce in them a permanent set so that the shape of the garment was materially changed. Also it was very often impossible to rearrange the garment after such manipulation and strain in the same way in which it had been originally put on by the wearer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a foundation garment which may be conveniently opened at the rear, without the necessity for unfastening the garters, and which will not impose strain upon the garment or upon the stays, and which when so opened will be entirely comfortable, permitting the wearer to assume a sitting attitude without strain or inconvenience. To this end it is particularly proposed to provide a vertically extending placket opening centrally of the rearward lower edge of the garment normally secured by a slide fastener of the zipper type, the locking slide of which is arranged to be pulled upwardly in its opening movement, and further to provide elastic means arranged to automatically separate and spread the garment at each side of the opening, simultaneously with the unfastening of the slide fastener, thereby greatly increasing the convenience, comfort and sanitary characteristics of the garment. I further propose to arrange the zipper fastener and the automatic opening means in such relation to the stays that no appreciable bending of these will be required in opening the garment.

In order to present a smooth contour about the hips at the lower portion of such foundation garments, they have usually been made with a side fastening extending from the upper edge to a point spaced considerably above the lower edge, so that in order to put on or remove the garment the lower portion had to be forced into and out of place by stretching the elastic inserts at the side.

It is a further object of my invention to provide the opening and zipper fastening centrally at the rear of the lower edge of the garment extending upwardly to a point in proximity to, preferably above, the horizontal plane of the lower end of the side fastener, so that by unfastening both the side and rear openings the entire garment will be loosened and may therefore be most conveniently put on or removed.

Another object is to provide a garment having a continuous body confining lower edge portion which upon closing of the rear opening through downward movement of the slide fastener will, because of the central arrangement of the fastener and the progressivedownwardclosing action,

be uniformly drawn from each side and gradually contracted about the body, causing the lower portion of the garment to closely embrace the thighs and to cup at the rear, without any tendency to uneveness or twisting, this being especially due to the equal pull from front to rear exerted by the gradual downward closing action, this pull being effective from a relatively high point in the garment to the lower edge. It is also an object to arrange. the elastic opening means in such relation to the back as to draw the lower portion of the garment inwardly to the body.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a foundation garment according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the manner of unfastening the rear opening.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary inside elevation of the rear portion of the garment.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the foundation garment, according to the illustrated examplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a front section II], a back section I l, and side sections l2-I 2, the side sections being formed of elastic fabric from a point in proximity to the waistline to the lower edge of the garment, the elastic fabric being arranged to stretch laterally. A side opening I3 is provided at one side and extends from the upper edge of the garment to a point upwardly spaced from the lower edge, this opening being preferably closed by a slide fastener I4 of the zipper type, arranged to close by upward movement of the slide l5 although any suitable type of fastening may be employed. The lower edge of the arment extends well below the hips of the wearer and is preferably circumferentially continuous so as to tightly embrace the thighs, the elastic side sections permitting this. Garters iii are provided at the lower edge in the usual manner.

The back section H is provided at each side of the vertical center line with vertically arranged stays ll, of steel, bone, or the like, these being disposed in pockets l8 secured interiorly of the back and extending to the lower edge of the garment. The back section is provided centrally of its lower portion with a placket opening l9 extending upwardly from the lower edge to a point sufiiciently high to enable the back to be freely opened without imposing undue strain upon the fabric or upon the stays. The upper end of this opening I9 is preferably slightly above the horizontal plane of the lower end of the side opening I3, so that when both the side and back openings are unfastened the entire garment is loose and may therefore be easily put on or removed.

At the same time the upper end of the opening I9 is arranged below the high point of the figure, that is, the point where the figure starts to curve in, so that no bulge will be produced by the opening and its fastening means, which would show through the outer garments, this being of particular importance in the case of very thin sheer garments.

A pair of elastic tape members 24-24 are provided interiorly of the garment near to and preferably parallel to the lower edge'extending from each side of the opening to the outer back stays l'I-I'l, being secured by stitching at their ends and also by intermediate stitches 25 connected to the stay pocket l8 of the inner back stays 11. These elastic tapes are stretched under tension in the normal position of the garment with the opening l9 closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, tending to draw in the lower portion of the garmentback. Upon unfastening of the opening l9 through upward movement of the slide 20 the tapes contract and thus cause the garment automatically to gradually separate and spread at each side of the opening, as shown in Fig. 2, and in which position the garment is retained while open at the back. The garment may be easily adjusted and the wearer may assume a comfortable sitting posture without the necessity for unfastening the garters, and without bending or straining the stays. It may be as conveniently closed by simply pulling the slide downwardly, and when so closed the garment will be in exactly the same arrangement as when originally put on.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a foundation garment, a front section, and a back section having a lower edge adapted to embrace the wearer below the hips, said back section having a centrally disposed vertical opening extending from the lower edge upwardly to a point below the upper edge, fastening means for securing said opening closed, and elastic means at each side of said opening adapted to separate and spread said opening when unsecured by said fastening means, the upper portion of said garment adapted to circumferentially embrace the figure in both the secured and unsecured position of said fastening means to retain the garment against vertical displacement in said unsecured position of said fastening means.

2. In a foundation garment, a front section, side sections and a back section having a lower edge adapted to embrace the wearer below the hips, garters secured to the lower edge of said back section at each side of the center contiguous to said side sections, said back section having an opening intermediate said garters extending from the lower edge upwardly, fastening means for securing said opening closed, and elastic means at each side of said opening extending between the edges of said opening and points inwardly of said garter means adapted to separate and spread said opening when unsecured by said fastening means, said side sections and front section adapted to remain substantially in place laterally through the retaining action of said garters.

3. In a foundation garment, a front section, and a back section having a lower edge adapted to embrace the wearer below the hips, a plurality of spaced vertically disposed stays extending upwardly from the lower edge of said back section at each side of the center, said back section having a central opening intermediate the inner pair of said stays extending from the lower edge upwardly, fastening means for securing said opening closed, and elastic means at each side of said opening extending between the edges of said opening and at each side of said opening to points beyond the inner pair of stays and contiguous to the outermost pair of stays adapted to separate and spread said opening when unsecured by said fastening means, said stays adapted to maintain the garment against vertical displacement upon the figure when said fastening means is unsecured.

CORA LEE JASPER 

